Town ambulance officials: Guilfoyle stealing calls in town [Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.]

Sept. 17--Town of Watertown Ambulance Service officials have accused competing Guilfoyle Ambulance of stealing about 25 percent of their calls, causing the nonprofit town squad to lose crucial revenues.

David C. Roof, the town ambulance squad's president, told the Watertown Town Board last week that Guilfoyle, a private company, has somehow intercepted about 175 of this year's ambulance calls for town residents, and that the nonprofit town ambulance service has lost an unspecified amount of the revenues it needs to operate.

"That's quite a bit of service we lose," he said.

Guilfoyle denies the claim.

Mr. Roof brought up the subject at last week's Town Board meeting during a discussion about a recent change in which town residents are now billed directly by the town service for whatever balance their medical insurance company refuses to pay.

He warned town officials that residents will be asking them about the change in the town contract that was made at the August board meeting. Until last month, the contract had barred the ambulance service from billing town residents who use the service.

On Thursday, Mr. Roof blamed Guilfoyle for the service having to bill town residents. He also faulted escalating costs in the national health insurance industry. The amount in unpaid bills has escalated because some private health insurance companies have refused to cover ambulance trips, people no longer can afford health insurance and they have higher deductibles, he said.

The amount in unpaid bills already exceeded all of last year's. For the first seven months of the year, the ambulance service accumulated $37,867 in unpaid bills, up from $24,934 for all of 2012. That has put the service in a financial bind, Mr. Roof said last month.

Ambulance officials surmised that some of the lost calls came from private medical offices contacting Guilfoyle, rather than the town service. It has covered the town of Watertown for the past four years; the town contributes $150,000 a year to the service.

But Guilfoyle General Manager David C. Sherman, a longtime critic of the town service, said Friday the accusations are preposterous, although he credited the town's ambulance staff as providing an "admirable" service.

"I have no reason to believe it," he said regarding the claim that his company is stepping in on the town squad's business. Mr. Sherman declined to offer any statistics, saying that Mr. Roof should prove his claim.

James W. McLane, the town service's operating director, also told the board he does not understand why the town service has gotten so few transfers from Samaritan Medical Center.

Board members expressed alarm over the situation, given that there appears to be little the town can do. Town Attorney Joseph W. Russell said Guilfoyle has the legal right to cover the town because it has the required certificate of need from the state for all of Jefferson County, including the town.

"If it's not illegal, it's unethical," Mr. Roof said.

Board members also wondered whether Guilfoyle was somehow intercepting calls before they reach the Jefferson County 911 dispatch center or whether it may be happening afterward. To ensure help is sent as fast as possible, Mr. Sherman said, the closest ambulance must be dispatched, whether it is Guilfoyle's or the town's.

"It's disturbing to see a Guilfoyle ambulance parked along the road just waiting for a call," Town Supervisor Joel R. Bartlett said, blaming the private service for the loss in calls.

Mr. Bartlett said he intends to set up a meeting with Jefferson County and 911 dispatch officials about the situation to see what can be done.

On Sunday, Mr. Roof said that he did not want to get into a dispute with Guilfoyle, but that he stood by his remarks from Thursday night's meeting. Mr. Roof also said his 25 percent claim of lost business was "a high-end estimate because I have no idea how many calls unless Guilfoyle opened up their books, and I know they're not going to do that."

Mr. Roof said that even with town users being billed and the town donating $150,000 yearly, residents would pay less than if Guilfoyle takes the call because the town's service is not in the business to make money.

But Mr. Sherman criticized the new billing practice because the town ambulance service promised it would never charge residents when it branched off from the Fire Department in 2008.

"Essentially, they're double-dipping," he said, adding that he does not believe there are enough calls to warrant a town ambulance service.

He also contended that Guilfoyle could provide the service to town residents for less cost, either by billing them directly or by having a contract with the town.

"I have said that for years," he said.

Providing around-the-clock service 365 days a year, the squad consists of 14 paid and 17 volunteer staff members. Last year, it had a $316,000 budget, with revenue from user fees, fundraising campaigns and donations.

___

(c)2012 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.)

Visit Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.) at www.watertowndailytimes.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services